Step by Step Guide to Obtain Driving License in Saudi Arabia

It is a challenge for some people to get a driver’s license in Saudi Arabia. For the ease of our readers we will provide a step by step process to which needs to be followed for getting the license. The time ranges from 2 days up to a lot of days depending on whether you earlier have a driving license of some other country and you know driving and not.

Step 1: Getting the documents ready

The first and foremost step is getting all your relevant documents ready before going to the driving School. The following are the documents you need:

Your own country’s license (if you are an expat and if you have the license).

Your short medical report.

A copy of resident permit (Iqama).

A copy of your passport (front side and back side too of the sheet).

6 passport sized Pictures (with white background).

If you don’t have the license of your own country it is not an obligatory requirement though but if you have one you need to translate it into Arabic from a certified translator, the translated and original both need to be submitted. It will take less time to get the license if you have a license earlier, otherwise it may take longer. The medical report will have your blood group mentioned and report on your eye sight. You need to get your file completed and the form filled from the service office (Maktab), the preparation and form filling will cost you 10 Riyals. The last thing you need to do is to submit the fee against your Iqamah the fee for 2 years’ validity license is 80 Riyals. For 5 years 200 Riyals and 400 Riyals for 10 years. The fee can be paid at any bank of Saudi Arabia via Saddad. You can also pay the fee after the submission of your file.

Step 2: Going to the Driving School

It is recommended to reach the Driving School before 7 am or at least by 7 am. The best way to get there will be via Taxi. The office opens at 7 am you need to take your file to the reception where your documents will be checked and the coupon number will be given to you. If you already have a license of your home country you will be directly asked to take the driving test (at your turn and you will have option to drive automatic or manual transmission), the test will help them determine that whether you know driving and you need to attend the driving school or not. Alternatively if you don’t have the home country’s license you will be asked to pay the fee for the classes and you have to attend the classes. Depending on your performance in the driving test the guy who took your test will write some comments on your file then you need to take the same file to the reception where you arrived earlier the same guy will also write some comments and will ask you to take the token for your computer test. Here you will be asked to pay 100 Riyals for your driving test and Computer test. You will be given a receipt with your picture on it (which you earlier provided by submitting the documents) the receipt will also have on it the time and day of your basic class. This receipt will also have with it a small leaflet which has the traffic signs and their meanings in it which will help you to pass your computer test as well. The leaflet will also have one line r question answers in about 12 different languages. This is it for the first day you need to get back to the school on the mentioned time and Date for the class.

Step 3: Attending the class

You need to get to the School again for taking your classes, the length of classes depend on your performance in the preliminary driving test. The instructor will also provide you with some tips for the computer test which you have to take along with the final driving test. That’s it for this day after taking the class you will leave for your place as you don’t have to do anything else to do. You have to go to the driving school to take the computer test and final driving test.

Step 4: Taking the Computer Test

You will have to get to the driving school once again for taking the computer test which will be of 30 minutes. You need to get 15 questions right out of 20 questions to clear the test. After clearing the computer test you will have to take the final driving test.

Step 5: Taking the Final Driving Test

After clearing the computer test you will take your final driving test which is mostly on the same day on which you take your computer test. Once you clear your final driving test you will be few minutes away from getting your license.

Step 6: you have got the license

If you successfully clear the computer test and final driving test you will be provided b y a token number at the reception and will be asked to wait for few minutes after which you will receive your driving license.